John Wayne’s classic war movie The Longest Day still has one of the most war movie ensembles ever assembled. The Longest Day is often considered one of the greatest war movies about D-Day ever made and is right up there with other World War II classics such as Saving Private Ryan (1998). At 2 hours and 58 minutes long, The Longest Day offers a phenomenal depiction of the infamous D-Day landings at Normandy on June 6, 1944, a day that will always be remembered in American history.
While The Longest Day often draws a lot of comparisons to Saving Private Ryan, the two are separated by time and technology but are unified by a similar caliber in their casts. Saving Private Ryan featured outstanding performances from Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Paul Giamatti, Ted Danson, and more. While the cast of Saving Private Ryan is undeniably impressive, that of The Longest Day is truly historic.
The Longest Day Is Packed With International Stars
The Longest Day’s ensemble cast is histroic
Apart from leading man John Wayne, The Longest Day cast includes Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West), Robert Mitchum (The Night of the Hunter), Sean Connery (The Untouchables), Richard Burton (Where Eagles Dare), Rod Steiger (On The Waterfront), Robert Ryan (The Dirty Dozen), Edmond O’Brien (The Wild Bunch), Sal Minero (Rebel Without A Cause), Jeffrey Hunter (The Searchers), Richard Beymar (West Side Story), and many more prominent actors.
The Longest Day also featured many notable international actors, which made a truly historic moment in film history that likely would not be replicated today outside of a Marvel movie. These include Gert Fröbe from Germany, Irina Demick from France, Andre Bourvil from France, Curd Jürgens from Germany, Arletty from France, and Paul Anka from Canada. The Longest Day is not only celebrated for its outstanding cast but also its fantastic visual compositions and its sharp camerawork.
The Longest Day’s Star-Studded Cast Wouldn’t Happen Today
Only Marvel movies have shown this level of star power nowadays
While Marvel has certainly assembled dozens of A-list Hollywood stars to be apart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that type of ensemble would likely never happen nowadays, especially in a war movie based on real-life. Some other WWII movies, such as 1969’s Battle of Britain which featured Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, and more, have certainly put together some impressive casts, but none can compare to that of The Longest Day. Big ensembles are already difficult enough to pull off, but the camaraderie demonstrated by many of the biggest stars in the world to make The Longest Day happen will probably never be repeated.